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“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” Dr. Seusshttp://knitsandreads.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Lauri M)Blogger1127125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778134396156590664.post-4157904080078415534Thu, 23 Jul 2015 01:20:00 +00002015-07-22T20:20:34.092-05:00No Safe Harbor<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764210394">No Safe Harbor</a></span></center><center>Bethany House Publishers (October 1, 2012)</center><center>by</center><center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.elizabethludwig.net/">Elizabeth Ludwig</a></span></center><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fCt4zikAuO8/UIS3WOTlZhI/AAAAAAAAFM0/coHnXUjM9zA/s1600/Lisa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fCt4zikAuO8/UIS3WOTlZhI/AAAAAAAAFM0/coHnXUjM9zA/s1600/Lisa.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>Elizabeth Ludwig is an award-winning author whose work has been featured on Novel Rocket, the Christian Authors Network, and The Christian Pulse. Her first novel, <i>Where the Truth Lies</i> (co-authored with Janelle Mowery), earned her the 2008 IWA Writer of the Year Award. This book was followed in 2009 by <i>I'll be Home for Christmas</i>, part of the Christmas anthology collection, Christmas Homecoming. <br /><br />In 2011, her second mystery, <i>Died in the Wool</i> (co-authored with Janelle Mowery) was nominated for a Carol Award. In 2012, the popular EDGE OF FREEDOM series released from Bethany House Publishers. Books one and two, <i>No Safe Harbor</i> and <i>Dark Road Home</i>, respectively, earned 4 Stars from the RT Book Reviews. Book three, <i>Tide and Tempest</i>, received top honors with 4 1/2 Stars. <br /><br />Elizabeth is an accomplished speaker and teacher, often attending conferences and seminars where she lectures on editing for fiction writers, crafting effective novel proposals, and conducting successful editor/agent interviews. Along with her husband and children, she makes her home in the great state of Texas. <br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bex_MX8jRB8/UIS3kKiIYwI/AAAAAAAAFM8/OiKUFSGMMm4/s1600/No_Safe_Harbor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bex_MX8jRB8/UIS3kKiIYwI/AAAAAAAAFM8/OiKUFSGMMm4/s1600/No_Safe_Harbor.jpg" width="128" /></a></div>The Thrill of Romantic Suspense Meets the Romance of 1800s America <br /><br />Lured by a handful of scribbled words across a faded letter, Cara Hamilton sets off from 1896 Ireland on a quest to find the brother she'd thought dead. Her search lands her in America, amidst a houseful of strangers and one man who claims to be a friend--Rourke Walsh. <br /><br />Despite her brother's warning, Cara decides to trust Rourke and reveals the truth about her purpose in America. But he is not who he claims to be, and as rumors begin to circulate about an underground group of dangerous revolutionaries, Cara's desperation grows. Her questions lead her ever closer to her brother, but they also bring her closer to destruction as Rourke's true intentions come to light. <br /><br />If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764210394">No Safe Harbor</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2015/07/no-safe-harbor-by-elizabeth-ludwig.html">HERE</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>** I have not yet received my copy of this book for review, but am posting this for CFBA</i></span><br /><br /><a href="http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/?action=view&amp;current=SignatureLuLu.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/SignatureLuLu.jpg" /></a>http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com/2015/07/no-safe-harbor.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lauri M)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778134396156590664.post-1331979131631951316Wed, 15 Jul 2015 17:03:00 +00002015-07-15T12:03:39.239-05:00Summer's List<a href="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Summers-List-PK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Summer’s List" border="0" class="left" height="auto" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Summers-List-PK.jpg" width="250" /></a><em>Summer’s List</em> (River North, June 2015)<br /><br /> <strong>A dying wish alters the course of a young woman’s life.</strong><br /> Life hadn’t been easy for Summer Snow. In acts of selflessness-caring for her ailing parents and running her grandmother’s bookstore-she had forfeited her youth and dreams for the needs of others. And the only tries she had at love… didn’t turn out. She had the bookstore, she had her beloved granny, but she was missing something-or someone.<br /><br /> Opportunity strikes when Granny sends Summer on an unexpected adventure with one Martin Langtree, a kind but gangly young man from Summer’s past. A childhood friendship is rekindled, a romance is sparked, and mysteries are solved in one magical Texas summer. Will Summer strike out on love again, or will things finally go her way?<br /> <br /> <strong><a href="http://www.anitahigman.com/books.html" target="_blank">Learn more and purchase a copy at Anita’s website.</a></strong><br /><br /><br /><strong>MY THOUGHTS</strong><br />Despite some of the sadness this was such a happy read, I caught myself smiling so many times<strong>...</strong>even laughing out loud!<br /><br />Summer and her grandma have a closeness to be treasured, and of course Summer's world comes to a sudden halt when she finds out her grandma doesn't have long to live.&nbsp; But leave it to her grandma to make a list for Summer...a list that will change her life! <br /><br />You just can't help but love Martin Langtree..such an awkward guy but so very lovable.&nbsp; His brothers...they leave a bit to be desired, but then I think anyone would be a bit messed up with their past.<br /><br />I truly loved this book, and now as I write this review, I think I'm going to read it again!&nbsp; Don't miss this one.&nbsp; It's quirky, funny, sweet, and yes, sad...but the sad doesn't overtake you.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>**I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from Litfuse </i></span><br /><br /><a href="http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/?action=view&amp;current=SignatureLuLu.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/SignatureLuLu.jpg" /></a>http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com/2015/07/summers-list.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lauri M)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778134396156590664.post-862316065108462439Sat, 04 Jul 2015 02:24:00 +00002015-07-03T21:24:53.058-05:00Two Roads Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Two-Roads-Home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Two Roads Home" border="0" class="left" height="auto" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Two-Roads-Home.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><br />What if it’s too late for dreams to come true? Minor-but-nagging setbacks continue to sour Grant and Audrey Whitman’s initiation into the world of innkeeping, but larger challenges brew when an innocent flirtation leads to big trouble for the Whitmans’ son-in-law, Jesse. Jesse Pennington’s friendly, outgoing personality has always served him well, especially in a career that has earned him and his wife Corinne a very comfortable lifestyle. But Corinne and Jesse are both restless—and for similar reasons, if only they could share those with each other. Instead, too many business trips and trumped-up charges of harassment from a disgruntled coworker threaten their marriage and possibly put their three precious daughters at risk.<br /><br />With their life in disarray, God is tugging at their hearts to pursue other dreams. Can Corinne and Jesse pick up the pieces of what was once a wonderful life before it all crumbles beneath them?<br /><br />Learn more and purchase a copy.<br /><br /><span style="color: orange;"><b>MY THOUGHTS</b></span><br />This is the second book in this series, but can definitely be read as a stand-alone.<br /><br />This is mainly Corrine and Jesse's story.&nbsp; Their marriage becomes precarious as Jesse struggles with a co-worker that seems to be set on ruining his life.&nbsp;<br /><br />Corrine's family is one who pulls together, weekly dinners at her parents' with her siblings and all the kiddos, they help each other when they're down, they share laughs and love.&nbsp; You just know that the 'road home' to the parents house will not only be filled with love but a full dose of wisdom as well.<br /><br />A very entertaining read, one that held my interest through each and every page of the book....and leaves you wondering what will happen in the next book! <br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Litfuse publicity </i></span><br /><br />&nbsp;<a href="http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/?action=view&amp;current=SignatureLuLu.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/SignatureLuLu.jpg" /></a>http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com/2015/07/two-roads-home.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lauri M)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778134396156590664.post-6308231901172238363Thu, 25 Jun 2015 03:28:00 +00002015-06-24T22:28:04.128-05:00The Ticket<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1941103863">The Ticket</a></span></center><center>Firefly Southern Fiction (May 20, 2015) </center><center>by</center><center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Debra-Coleman-Jeter/e/B00UDTPPC6/">Debra Jeter</a></span></center><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZtmWoKdJXAo/VYdwl5wjSOI/AAAAAAAAHFM/u1L_NAo3FoE/s1600/Debra%2BJeter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZtmWoKdJXAo/VYdwl5wjSOI/AAAAAAAAHFM/u1L_NAo3FoE/s200/Debra%2BJeter.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>A Vanderbilt University professor, Debra Coleman Jeter has published fiction and nonfiction in popular magazines, including Working Woman, New Woman, Self, Home Life, Savvy, Christian Woman, and American Baby. Her story, "Recovery," won first prize in a Christian Woman short story competition, and her nonfiction book "Pshaw, It's Me Grandson": Tales of a Young Actor was a finalist in the 2007 USA Book News Awards. She is a co-writer of the screenplay for Jess + Moss, a feature film which premiered in 2011 at the Sundance Film Festival, screened at nearly forty film festivals around the world, and captured several international awards. She lives in Clarksville, Tennessee, with her husband. She is currently working on a novel based on the life of her grandmother, Effie Shultz McClain (1900 to 1985).<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5lt4pwJKnMs/VYdwP63aYkI/AAAAAAAAHFE/QYACLRiHrGc/s1600/Ticket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5lt4pwJKnMs/VYdwP63aYkI/AAAAAAAAHFE/QYACLRiHrGc/s320/Ticket.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>Tray Dunaway longs to be part of the popular set at school but, she's growing too fast and her clothes no longer fit. The only person who understands Tray's need for acceptance is her grandmother, but when Tray wears Gram's hand-sewn clothes to school, the kids make fun of her tall, boney appearance. Tray's luck improves when Pee Wee Johnson, a down-and-out friend of her father's, buys two lottery tickets and gives one to Mr. Dunaway as a thank-you for driving him to Hazard, Illinois. When her father's ticket turns out to be the winner, Johnson demands his cut of the proceeds, but Tray's dad refuses. What seems like a stroke of good fortune suddenly becomes a disturbing turn of events as Johnson threatens to cause problems for the family and Tray. <br /><br />If you'd like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1941103863">The Ticket</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-ticket-by-debra-jeter.html">HERE</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br />MY THOUGHTS<br /><br />This is a YA book.&nbsp; Teens, we've all been there...those awkward years where you're trying to fit in, the smallest thing makes you an outcast, the smallest things your parents do embarrass you half to death.<br /><br />This book may remind you of those emotions, if you're a teen reading this book, you may not feel like the only teen with weird, crazy parents.&nbsp; You may not feel like you're the only one with problems.&nbsp; This book is an excellent read, this book is REAL. <br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from CFBA </i></span><br /><br /><a href="http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/?action=view&amp;current=SignatureLuLu.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/SignatureLuLu.jpg" /></a>http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-ticket.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lauri M)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778134396156590664.post-4327564039227834929Tue, 16 Jun 2015 03:16:00 +00002015-06-24T22:22:52.004-05:00The Midwife's Tale<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/076421733X">The Midwife’s Tale</a></span></center><center>Bethany House Publishers (June 2, 2015)</center><center>by</center><center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Delia-Parr/e/B001IXMHFY">Delia Parr</a></span></center><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Im40hdiP56U/VX4fRaFEZZI/AAAAAAAAHEk/CXfK0d1zafg/s1600/Delia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Im40hdiP56U/VX4fRaFEZZI/AAAAAAAAHEk/CXfK0d1zafg/s200/Delia.jpg" width="152" /></a></div><br /><br />Delia Parr is the author of sixteen historical and inspirational historical romance novels, including Hearts Awakening, Love's First Bloom, and Hidden Affections. The mother of three grown children, she was a long-time high school teacher in southern New Jersey before retiring to Florida. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U5PzOlk-7YI/VX4fDsrgadI/AAAAAAAAHEc/2J_849PMJyU/s1600/MidwifesTale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U5PzOlk-7YI/VX4fDsrgadI/AAAAAAAAHEc/2J_849PMJyU/s320/MidwifesTale.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>Martha Cade comes from a long line of midwives who have served the families of Trinity, Pennsylvania, for generations. A widow with two grown children, she's hopeful that her daughter will follow in her footsteps, but when Victoria runs off, Martha's world is shattered. <br /><br />Worse, a new doctor has arrived in town, threatening her job, and she can't remember a time when her faith has been tested more. Still determined to do the work she knows God intended for her, Martha is unprepared for all that waits ahead. Whether it's trying to stop a town scandal, mending broken relationships, or feeling the first whispers of an unexpected romance, she faces every trial and every opportunity with hope and faith. <br /><br />If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/076421733X">The Midwife’s Tale</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-midwifes-tale-by-delia-parr.html">HERE</a>. <br /><br /><br />MY THOUGHTS<br />Martha Cade....a woman who is a widow, and one chasing after a daughter who has run off.&nbsp; Yet she still has the time and the heart to continue being a mid-wife, coming from a line of midwife's it's in her blood.&nbsp; But yet, times are changing, Dr.'s are becoming a threat to her practice....which leaves a bit of drama for reading!<br /><br />This is a fast moving book, not just a book about women having babies...plenty of interesting moments to keep your attention, and despite the fact that Martha'a livelihood revolves around babies, she is very much a strong, spirited woman.<br /><br />A fun read.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*I received this book in exchange for review from CFBA</i></span><br /><a href="http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/?action=view&amp;current=SignatureLuLu.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/SignatureLuLu.jpg" /></a>http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-midwifes-tale.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lauri M)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778134396156590664.post-6420321792867773077Fri, 12 Jun 2015 00:35:00 +00002015-06-11T19:35:02.605-05:00Book Review: The Proposal at Siesta Key<a href="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/A-Proposal-at-Siesta-Key.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Proposal at Siesta Key" border="0" class="left" height="auto" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/A-Proposal-at-Siesta-Key.jpg" width="250" /></a><em>The Proposal at Siesta Key</em> (Avon Inspire, May 2015)<br /><br /> <strong>A young Amish woman, yearning for freedom, crosses paths with a handsome Mennonite celebrity in a deeply moving tale of friendship and self-discovery—the second installment in the unforgettable New York Times bestselling author’s new Amish Brides of Pinecraft series.</strong><br /><br /> Penny Troyer rarely disobeys her parents. In the years since her sister’s tragic death, they’ve wanted nothing more than to keep her safe…even if it means never leaving the house.<br /><br /> But tonight, she’s bending the rules because Michael Knoxx, the most famous member of The Knoxx Family Singers, a traveling Mennonite Evangelical family —is scheduled to speak. Penny has heard of Michael—how he lost part of his leg in a terrible accident and uses the experience to inspire others—and knows she must meet him. So, for the first time ever, Penny stands up to her parents and goes out on her own.<br /><br /> Though he speaks about living life to the fullest, Michael knows he needs to take his own advice. Life on the road is grueling and Michael wants to slow down, to rest…to perhaps meet someone who sees him as a man, not just a celebrity. So when a twist of fate allows him the chance to stay a little longer in Pinecraft, Michael knows God is showing him a new path, especially when he discovers how much he and Penny Troyer have in common.<br /><br /> But new friendships can’t stop time. Soon, Michael’s time in Pinecraft will be over and he’ll be back on the road. Her time with Michael has brought her happiness, but will she be able to follow her heart? Or will she be faced with the one thing she’s sure she’ll never have the courage to do?<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062337726/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0062337726&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=sprightly-20&amp;linkId=VQVKIYBLOFAHBIVJ" target="_blank"><strong>Learn more and purchase a copy.</strong></a><br /><br /><div class="entry_author_image"></div><a href="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/authors/SGray-201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Shelley Shepard Gray" border="0" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/authors/SGray-201.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Shelley Shepard Gray is a two-time New York Times bestseller, a two-time USA Today bestseller, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time Holt Medallion winner. She lives in Southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: orange;"><b>MY THOUGHTS</b></span><br />With this book you'll return to Pinecraft, FL. to the Amish community that is not quite as strict as those in the northern states.<br /><br />Some of the characters from previous stories are in this book, but it is definitely a stand-alone read.&nbsp; Penny Troyer is a 'good' girl, but one who has simply had enough of her parent's sheltering, you really can't blame her or them, but sometimes, sheltering goes too far. <br /><br />Penny puts on a brave face as she tries new things, and Michael, he's about to face a big change as well.<br /><br />Faced with an upcoming surgery which will keep Michael from his family duties, his traveling work with them...he has time to reflect, to think about his future.<br /><br />There's a lot of change in this book which makes for an entertaining read.&nbsp; The road to change is not simple,&nbsp; and Penny and Michael have their work cut out for them...they will quickly take a piece of your heart.<br /><br />Another wonderful Amish story from Shelley Shepard Gray, she never disappoints. <br /><br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from Litfuse&nbsp; </span></i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi66.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fh244%2Fghosthorsemcc%2FSignatureLuLu.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image%2F*" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/SignatureLuLu.jpg" /></a></div>http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com/2015/06/book-review-proposal-at-siesta-key.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lauri M)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778134396156590664.post-4384737393892928002Wed, 10 Jun 2015 01:37:00 +00002015-06-09T20:37:50.126-05:00Book Review: As Waters Gone By<a href="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/As-Waters-Gone-By-pK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="As Waters Gone By" border="0" class="left" height="auto" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/As-Waters-Gone-By-pK.jpg" width="250" /></a><em>As Waters Gone By</em> (Abingdon, May 2015)<br /> <strong>How can a marriage survive when separated by hundreds of miles and impenetrable prison walls?</strong><br /><br /> Emmalyn and Max Ross may have to endure the fight of their lives to mend the tattered fabric of their marriage. His actions ensured she could never be a mother and put him in prison, giving their relationship a court-mandated five-year time-out. On a self-imposed exile to beautiful but remote Madeline Island, one of the Apostle Islands of Lake Superior, Emmalyn has just a few months left to figure out if and how they can ever be a couple again.<br /><br /> Nudged along by the exuberant owner of the Wild Iris Inn and Café, a circle of misfit people in their small town, and a young girl who desperately needs someone to love her, Emmalyn restores an island cottage that could become a home and begins to restore her heart by learning what it means to love unconditionally. Yet even as hope begins to find a place within the cottage walls, Emmalyn still wonders if she’s ready for Max’s release. She may be able to rebuild a cottage, but can she rebuild a marriage?<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.cynthiaruchti.com/books/as-waters-gone-by" target="_blank"><strong>Learn more and purchase a copy.</strong></a><br /><br /><header class="entry-header"> <a href="http://litfusegroup.com/campaigns/as-waters-gone-by-cynthia-ruchti" target="_blank"><br /></a> </header> <div class="entry_author_image"></div><a href="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/authors/CRuchti-145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cynthia Ruchti" border="0" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/authors/CRuchti-145.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br />Cynthia Ruchti has more than three decades of radio broadcast experience with "Heartbeat of the Home" radio and currently serves as Professional Relations Liaison for American Christian Fiction Writers. Find Cynthia on the Web at www.cynthiaruchti.com.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>MY THOUGHTS</strong><br />This is a very heartfelt read, one that takes you to Madeline Island and Lake Superior.&nbsp; Emmalyn has a tough battle to fight, trying to stay true to her husband that is currently in jail.<br /><br />Restoring a cabin gives Emmalyn purpose, but to me, it's also symbolic.&nbsp; Not only is she restoring a cabin, but can doing so help her restore her faith?<br /><br />Cynthia has a way of writing that makes you feel like you are one of the characters, you feel like you are a part of their lives...she's an amazing writer.&nbsp; Her words create vivid images and I just felt as though everything came alive off of every page I read, each page better than the last.<br /><br />I went through just about every emotion I had while reading this book, it was entertaining, thought provoking, at times sad, and happy as well.&nbsp; A great summer read! ...cannot wait for more from Cynthia.<br /><strong><br /></strong><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from Litfuse</i></span><strong><br /></strong><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/?action=view&amp;current=SignatureLuLu.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/SignatureLuLu.jpg" /></a></div><br />http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com/2015/06/book-review-as-waters-gone-by.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lauri M)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778134396156590664.post-5964376581877844548Thu, 04 Jun 2015 02:51:00 +00002015-06-03T21:51:04.678-05:00CFBA: Justified<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0781412161">Justified</a></span></center><center>David C. Cook (June 1, 2015) </center><center>by</center><center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://varinadenman.com/">Varina Denman</a></span></center><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gfPeTgKy1kI/VWvK3NkCNzI/AAAAAAAAHDI/u-dgp8yg6NE/s1600/varina%2Bdenman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gfPeTgKy1kI/VWvK3NkCNzI/AAAAAAAAHDI/u-dgp8yg6NE/s200/varina%2Bdenman.jpg" width="175" /></a></div>An avid reader and blogger, Varina Denman enjoys writing fiction about Christian women and the unique struggles they face. She seems to have a knack for describing small town life, and is currently working on the three-book Mended Heart Series. The first book in the series, <i>Jaded</i>, won the 2013 ACFW Genesis contest for romance. <br /><br />Varina attended three Texas universities over a span of five years, majoring in four subjects and earning zero degrees. However, she can now boast sixteen years as a home educator, volunteering in the local cooperative where she has taught numerous subjects including creative writing and literature. <br /><br />Even though Varina has spoken at ladies’ retreats and taught women’s Bible classes, she finds the greatest fulfillment facilitating prayer groups. She lives in Burleson, Texas, where she helps with Family Ministry in her home congregation. Varina is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and North Texas Christian Writers. <br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iRfW0jr3R-E/VWvL2bsXxOI/AAAAAAAAHDQ/k91RPhCMgA4/s1600/Justified.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iRfW0jr3R-E/VWvL2bsXxOI/AAAAAAAAHDQ/k91RPhCMgA4/s320/Justified.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>In a small Texas town ruled by gossip, Fawn Blaylock believes others are justified in condemning her untimely pregnancy. Stifled by guilt, she yearns for grace while the local football coach treats her with gentle respect. <br /><br /><i>Justified</i> perfectly captures the rhythm and romance of life in a small town, telling the unforgettable story of a woman searching for renewal, a man looking beyond what others see, and a community torn between judgment and love. It is the unforgettable story of broken dreams, second chances, and relentless hope. <br /><br />If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0781412161">Justified</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2015/05/justified-by-varina-denman.html">HERE</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: orange;">MY THOUGHTS</span><br /><br />I received my book late...so will update once I have completed reading!<br /><br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">**I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from CFBA</span></i> <br /><br /><a href="http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/?action=view&amp;current=SignatureLuLu.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/SignatureLuLu.jpg" /></a>http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com/2015/06/cfba-justified.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lauri M)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778134396156590664.post-4478246387998502989Wed, 27 May 2015 14:30:00 +00002015-06-01T19:16:00.173-05:00CFBA: When Hope Rises<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://pelicanbookgroup.com/pureamore/">When Hope Rises</a></span></center><center>Pelican Book Group (May 2015)</center><center>by</center><center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://dorahiers.com/home.html">Dora Heirs</a></span></center><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SYMWYq1ZWvc/VWKUFHgSXCI/AAAAAAAAHCo/5Qpe4m4Tv14/s1600/Dora.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SYMWYq1ZWvc/VWKUFHgSXCI/AAAAAAAAHCo/5Qpe4m4Tv14/s1600/Dora.jpg" /></a></div>After a successful auditing career, Dora left the corporate world to be a stay-at-home mom to her two sons. When her youngest son no longer wanted her hanging out at school with him anymore, Dora started writing Heart Racing, God-Gracing romance. She is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and her local chapter, Carolina Romance Writers. <br /><br />Dora and her real life hero make their home in North Carolina. When she takes a break from cranking out stories, she enjoys reading, family gatherings, and mountain cabin getaways. She despises traffic, bad coffee, technological meltdowns, and a sad ending to a book. Her books always end with a happily-ever-after! <br /><br /><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CncjD5Im98M/VWKTuc1ohvI/AAAAAAAAHCg/S4wMcDfnFhU/s1600/When%2BHope%2BRises.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CncjD5Im98M/VWKTuc1ohvI/AAAAAAAAHCg/S4wMcDfnFhU/s320/When%2BHope%2BRises.jpg" width="194" /></a></div>Art teacher Shelby Coltman transforms junk into treasure and longs for a place to showcase her creations. She’s thrilled when her friend volunteers to room with her. Shelby can finally buy a storefront. Unfortunately, Kennedi’s brother can't seem to let go. <br /><br />Abandoned as a teenager, guidance counselor Tate Malone has become surrogate and over-protective father to his sister. Life is great until Shelby Coltman wheedles his impressionable sister into sharing an apartment. Raised in wealth, the beautiful Shelby could never understand poverty or rejection, and Tate doesn't appreciate her uprooting his sister. When Shelby hands over her savings to a homeless student, will God obliterate Tate's fears and deliver all of Shelby’s dreams...when hope rises? <br /><br />If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://pelicanbookgroup.com/pureamore/">When Hope Rises</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2015/05/when-hope-rises-by-dora-heirs.html">HERE</a>.<br /><br />MY THOUGHTS<br />Over protective fathers.....did you have one?&nbsp; I did...my daughter certainly does....sometimes it drives her crazy!&nbsp; But how would you feel about your brother taking on that role?&nbsp; I think it would have put me over the edge!<br /><br />Shelby is one of those people that you would believe to be spoiled, yet turning over her savings shows the complete opposite.<br /><br />I just love it when characters are able to surprise me....<br /><br />..and Tate's fears, you just wonder while reading, will he overcome them, or will they be fears that come to truth?<br /><br />A great quick, summer-time read!<br /><br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from CFBA </span></i><br /><br /><a href="http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/?action=view&amp;current=SignatureLuLu.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/SignatureLuLu.jpg" /></a>http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com/2015/05/cfba-when-hope-rises.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lauri M)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778134396156590664.post-8467541953962644027Mon, 18 May 2015 21:00:00 +00002015-06-01T19:06:15.851-05:00CFBA: The Art of Losing Yourself<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1601425929">The Art of Losing Yourself</a></span></center><center>WaterBrook Press (April 21, 2015)</center><center>by</center><center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://katieganshert.com/">Katie Ganshert</a></span></center><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jh_tLsF6u80/VVlWLZ_XsCI/AAAAAAAAHBk/hOdLL-60oU0/s1600/katieganshert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jh_tLsF6u80/VVlWLZ_XsCI/AAAAAAAAHBk/hOdLL-60oU0/s200/katieganshert.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Award-winning author, Katie Ganshert, graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Madison with a degree in education, and worked as a fifth grade teacher for several years before staying home to write full-time. She was born and raised in the Midwest, where she lives with her family. When she’s not busy penning novels or spending time with her people, she enjoys drinking coffee with friends, reading great literature, and eating copious amounts of dark chocolate. <br /><br /><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VHgl7xv5uSk/VVlWg3RF9QI/AAAAAAAAHBs/ThaZCAY1nHk/s1600/Art-of-Losing-Yourself.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VHgl7xv5uSk/VVlWg3RF9QI/AAAAAAAAHBs/ThaZCAY1nHk/s320/Art-of-Losing-Yourself.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><b>Just like in my dream, I was drowning and nobody even noticed.</b><br /><br />Every morning, Carmen Hart pastes on her made-for-TV smile and broadcasts the weather. She’s the Florida panhandle’s favorite meteorologist, married to everyone’s favorite high school football coach. They’re the perfect-looking couple, live in a nice house, and attend church on Sundays. From the outside, she’s a woman who has it all together. But on the inside, Carmen Hart struggles with doubt. She wonders if she made a mistake when she married her husband. She wonders if God is as powerful as she once believed. Sometimes she wonders if He exists at all. After years of secret losses and empty arms, she’s not so sure anymore. <br /><br />Until Carmen’s sister—seventeen year old runaway, Gracie Fisher—steps in and changes everything. Gracie is caught squatting at a boarded-up motel that belongs to Carmen’s aunt, and their mother is off on another one of her benders, which means Carmen has no other option but to take Gracie in. Is it possible for God to use a broken teenager and an abandoned motel to bring a woman’s faith and marriage back to life? Can two half-sisters make each other whole? <br /><br />If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1601425929">The Art of Losing Yourself</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-art-of-losing-yourself-by-katie.html">HERE</a>.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: orange;">MY THOUGHTS</span></b><br />Carmen Hart...a TV personality, seems to have it all....she's definitely 'put-together' while broadcasting.<br /><br />But....she hurts, she's terribly sad and has a breakdown while shopping for a baby gift.&nbsp; It's actually rather humorous...what she does, but still very sad.<br /><br />Before she knows it, her world drastically changes, a run-away sister, a 'break' from work and her plans change and she's working on an old broken down hotel...which brings back a flood of memories.<br /><br />Her husband...he's broken too, the question is whether or not everyone can heal.&nbsp;&nbsp; Carmen, her husband, her sister, even her mom.....<br /><br />A very good book, there's a lot of hope, healing, and yet a bit of lightheartedness keeps the book from being a sad sad read.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from CFBA</i></span><br /><br /><a href="http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/?action=view&amp;current=SignatureLuLu.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/SignatureLuLu.jpg" /></a>http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com/2015/05/cfba-art-of-losing-yourself.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lauri M)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778134396156590664.post-2543343375588850665Thu, 14 May 2015 02:38:00 +00002015-05-14T09:39:25.537-05:00CFBA: The Wood's Edge<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1601427328">The Wood's Edge</a></span></center><center>WaterBrook Press (April 21, 2015) </center><center>by</center><center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://loribenton.blogspot.com/">Lori Benton</a></span></center><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HeP6-3keT7s/VVARGqww7JI/AAAAAAAAHA8/QLqD4RLQeyc/s1600/LORI%2BBenton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HeP6-3keT7s/VVARGqww7JI/AAAAAAAAHA8/QLqD4RLQeyc/s200/LORI%2BBenton.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br /><br />Lori Benton spent her late teens and early twenties pursuing a career as a wildlife artist, attending the Maryland College of Art &amp; Design before she began painting professionally. When not writing or researching, Lori can be found exploring the mountains of southern Oregon with her husband, Brian. Lori's first novel, Burning Sky was nominated as an ECPA 2014 Christian Book Award Finalist and also received double nominations for 2014 Christy Awards. <i>The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn</i> is her second novel.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xiQn_2WCn1U/VVAStDxyNtI/AAAAAAAAHBI/GavRgDXT5Go/s1600/WoodsEdge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xiQn_2WCn1U/VVAStDxyNtI/AAAAAAAAHBI/GavRgDXT5Go/s320/WoodsEdge.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b> <br /><br />At the wood’s edge cultures collide. Can two families survive the impact? <br /><br />The 1757 New York frontier is home to the Oneida tribe and to British colonists, yet their feet rarely walk the same paths. <br /><br />On the day Fort William Henry falls, Major Reginald Aubrey is beside himself with grief. His son, born that day, has died in the arms of his sleeping wife. When Reginald comes across an Oneida mother with newborn twins, one white, one brown, he makes a choice that will haunt the lives of all involved. He steals the white baby and leaves his own child behind. Reginald’s wife and foundling daughter, Anna, never suspect the truth about the boy they call William, but Reginald is wracked by regret that only intensifies with time, as his secret spreads its devastating ripples. <br /><br />When the long buried truth comes to light, can an unlikely friendship forged at the wood’s edge provide a way forward? For a father tormented by fear of judgment, another by lust for vengeance. For a mother still grieving her lost child. For a brother who feels his twin’s absence, another unaware of his twin’s existence. And for Anna, who loves them both—Two Hawks, the mysterious Oneida boy she meets in secret, and William, her brother. As paths long divided collide, how will God direct the feet of those who follow Him? <br /><br />If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1601427328">The Wood's Edge</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-woods-edge-by-lori-benton.html">HERE</a>. <br /><span style="color: orange;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: orange;"><b>MY THOUGHTS</b></span><br />This is the first book in the Pathfinders series...and an excellent start that will leave you anxiously awaiting book 2.<br /><br />The vivid description of the characters as well as the location and time period makes you connect instantly with the story line, and as far as Historical fiction goes, this one is a beauty, although a very long book....not one I was able to read as quickly as others.<br /><br />Friendship, love, hatred, regret...you'll feel all of these emotions and come out smiling as relationships develop and if you love historical fiction, especially the Colonial period, this is the book for you!<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from CFBA</i></span><br /><br /><a href="http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/?action=view&amp;current=SignatureLuLu.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/SignatureLuLu.jpg" /></a>http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com/2015/05/cfba-woods-edge.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lauri M)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778134396156590664.post-980307424609930005Fri, 08 May 2015 01:06:00 +00002015-05-08T20:06:56.770-05:00Kindle Giveaway and Book Review: The Inn at Ocean's Edge<b>Someone—maybe everyone—is hiding something from Claire Dellamare, and it will cost her everything to drag the truth out into the light.&nbsp;Colleen Coble's new book,&nbsp;<i><a href="http://www.thomasnelson.com/the-inn-at-ocean-s-edge" target="_blank">The Inn at Ocean's Edge</a></i>, is a must-read for mystery and suspense readers.</b>&nbsp;As Claire and Luke put together the pieces of a decades-old mystery, they discover that some family secrets refuse to stay buried. And some passions are worth killing for. <br /><br /><b>Celebrate the release of&nbsp;<i>The Inn at Ocean's Edge</i>&nbsp;by entering to win a Kindle Fire and RSVPing to her <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1604643223099097/" target="_blank">May 5th author chat party</a>!</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://promosimple.com/ps/6d25" target="_blank"><img alt="oceansedge-400" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-15413" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/oceansedge-400.png" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b>One&nbsp;grand prize winner will receive:</b><br /><ul><li>A&nbsp;Kindle Fire</li><li>A copy of&nbsp;<i>A Heart's Disguise</i></li><li>A copy of&nbsp;<i>A Heart's Obsession</i></li><li>A copy of&nbsp;<i>The Inn at Ocean's Edge</i></li></ul><b>Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May&nbsp;7th.</b>&nbsp;Winner will be announced May&nbsp;8th on&nbsp;<a href="http://colleencoble.com/" target="_blank"><b>Colleen's website</b></a>. Plus be sure to clear your calendar on the evening of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1604643223099097/" target="_blank"><b>May 5th</b></a> because Colleen is hosting an author chat party on Facebook to celebrate her A Journey of the Heart series and the release of&nbsp;<i>The Inn at Ocean's Edge</i>! <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1604643223099097/" target="_blank">RSVP here!</a></b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://promosimple.com/ps/6d25" target="_blank"><img alt="oceansedge-enterbanner" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-15415" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/oceansedge-enterbanner.png" height="100" width="400" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1604643223099097/" target="_blank">RSVP today</a> and spread the word—t</b>ell your friends about the giveaway via&nbsp;FACEBOOK&nbsp;or&nbsp;<b>TWITTER and increase your chances of winning</b>. Hope to see you on May&nbsp;5th!</h3><h3 style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;****************************************************</h3><table bgcolor="#FFFFFF" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" class="yiv7170899230BlockMargin" id="yiv7170899230content_LETTER.BLOCK6" style="width: 100%px;"><tbody id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205122"><tr id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205129"><td align="left" colspan="2" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205128" rowspan="1" style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic', 'ITC Avant Garde', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: left;"><div align="left" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205127" style="text-align: left;"><strong id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205126"> <img align="left" border="0" height="225" hspace="5" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205125" name="ACCOUNT.IMAGE.648" src="http://files.ctctcdn.com/d06cdd88001/94054edb-5143-40c4-8be6-aac10464caa1.jpg" vspace="5" width="150" /> About the book:</strong> <br /><em id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205139"><strong id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205138">The Inn at Ocean's Edge</strong></em> (Thomas Nelson, April 2015)<br /><br />A vacation to Sunset Cove was her way of celebrating and thanking her parents. After all, Claire Dellamore's childhood was like a fairytale. But with the help of Luke Elwell, Claire discovers that fairytale was really an elaborate lie . . .<br /><br />The minute she steps inside the grand Inn at Ocean's Edge, Claire Dellamare knows something terrible happened there. She feels it in her bones. Her ensuing panic attack causes a scene, upsetting her parents. Claire attempts to quiet her nerves with a walk on the beach, to no avail. She's at too great a distance to make out details, but she believes she witnesses a murder on a nearby cliff. When local police find no evidence of foul play, they quickly write off the "nervous" woman's testimony as less than credible.<br /><br />But Luke Elwell, home on leave from the Coast Guard, has reason to believe Claire. Years ago when his mother went missing, Luke's father suspected she'd been murdered. He died never having convinced the police to investigate. So when an employee of the grand hotel doesn't show up for work, Luke steps in to help Claire track down the missing woman.<br /><br />As Claire and Luke put together the pieces of a decades-old mystery, they discover that some family secrets refuse to stay buried. And some passions are worth killing for.<br /><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205145" style="margin-left: 30px;"><br /></div></div><div align="left" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205149" style="text-align: left;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205148" style="color: black;"><strong>Purchase a copy:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Kf8Wk0rfkD_qzO3lYN0rQAWMAh1ycvfLUEEgjLLpMV1PWGAQ-Msyl2D421TMky16TqLrfvglRBqCqyYG_0-epEUosChnn7lSzdC9ADsoTiVqRKKpTUBf85PHDU197GlEQik3PT5kCW6fFKhweYaiPt9hwRhR7jKlbA79NKSzeK4=&amp;c=ihjkLqGTXJAk_U31z99XEv-jN1Om2dEbm_Xj6YHYUEIQf0Eb1nqkFg==&amp;ch=NoypkCe5YYSExB0P8UXxglEjUm6xt40MROqceCOtYkmswkifZkmysw==" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205147" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" style="color: #6ba3a6; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/1PDMkED</a></span></div><div align="left" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205182" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div align="left" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205152" style="text-align: left;"><strong id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205151"> <img align="left" border="0" height="140" hspace="5" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/authors/CCoble-110.jpg" vspace="5" width="150" /> About the author: <br /><br />Colleen Coble</strong> has sold over 2 million novels worldwide. <em id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205157">Seagrass Pier</em>, the third installment in her acclaimed Hope Beach series, marks a new highpoint for emotion and complexity in Coble's addictive brand of romantic suspense.</div><div align="left" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205155" style="text-align: left;"><strong id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205154">Find Colleen online:</strong> <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Kf8Wk0rfkD_qzO3lYN0rQAWMAh1ycvfLUEEgjLLpMV1PWGAQ-Msyl-EPIXhgmhjJVRE8S0hET4i-GIglQ0eEhb-SZ8XJ0UOyyNmn10hQeywECcQi9nrhce8sIHPk75zreM20p0jSkqsdfKN5rN9ReluPsHGO412ElNxoq5C0Yf4=&amp;c=ihjkLqGTXJAk_U31z99XEv-jN1Om2dEbm_Xj6YHYUEIQf0Eb1nqkFg==&amp;ch=NoypkCe5YYSExB0P8UXxglEjUm6xt40MROqceCOtYkmswkifZkmysw==" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" style="color: #6ba3a6; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">website</a>, <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Kf8Wk0rfkD_qzO3lYN0rQAWMAh1ycvfLUEEgjLLpMV1PWGAQ-Msyl-EPIXhgmhjJeYBLy4JXuUVw_JJi56tqwbNZ82LsyQThzmViM5LHICmEd8RLrRJvNKlPkxV3rh20gfv_BeH7Dc8-yraQr3Luhh3PJmQC12qL2H2P4dwQE3n2apv6zQvRRlf2_w_9TlMqQMgKwEpObYnP4WEBaBi29Uze-Ha9HaIL&amp;c=ihjkLqGTXJAk_U31z99XEv-jN1Om2dEbm_Xj6YHYUEIQf0Eb1nqkFg==&amp;ch=NoypkCe5YYSExB0P8UXxglEjUm6xt40MROqceCOtYkmswkifZkmysw==" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" style="color: #6ba3a6; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Kf8Wk0rfkD_qzO3lYN0rQAWMAh1ycvfLUEEgjLLpMV1PWGAQ-Msyl-snAYFGv-MZ3zh9noY05-jh1XpOKS-KWsmhomR8sluEVskyb0jSUgAoDc3l0uD-ZsPCtUAuFAdY-fGVITKxaKqG9XNEmRhPt3BHR4HH2S-2rkTz8qECuG38GpdkIqp2mw==&amp;c=ihjkLqGTXJAk_U31z99XEv-jN1Om2dEbm_Xj6YHYUEIQf0Eb1nqkFg==&amp;ch=NoypkCe5YYSExB0P8UXxglEjUm6xt40MROqceCOtYkmswkifZkmysw==" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205185" rel="nofollow" shape="rect" style="color: #6ba3a6; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Twitter</a></div><div align="left" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205155" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div align="left" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205155" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div align="left" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205155" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: orange;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div align="left" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205155" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: orange;"><b>MY THOUGHTS</b></span></span></div><div align="left" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205155" style="text-align: left;">Loved this story line.&nbsp; As I read the book there were quite a few surprises, which always adds to the likeability of a book</div><div align="left" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205155" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div align="left" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205155" style="text-align: left;">This is a great mystery....a mystery within a mystery actually, and Claire continually finds herself in harms way as well as under the suspicion of a police officer who wants nothing more than to wrap up his case.</div><div align="left" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205155" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div align="left" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205155" style="text-align: left;">The people involved...well, lets just say that everyone's time will come to pay the piper, so to speak.</div><div align="left" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205155" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div align="left" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205155" style="text-align: left;">...and you can't leave out the romance, there's a healthy dose of that as well.</div><div align="left" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205155" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div align="left" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430872682965_205155" style="text-align: left;">A great read.</div></td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i>*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from Litfuse Publicity Group.</i></span></span></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/?action=view&amp;current=SignatureLuLu.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/SignatureLuLu.jpg" /></a></h3>http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com/2015/05/kindle-giveaway-and-book-review-inn-at.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lauri M)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778134396156590664.post-1794569202714675727Thu, 30 Apr 2015 03:47:00 +00002015-04-29T22:47:19.360-05:00Book Review: Gathered Waters<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1939023300">Gathered Waters</a></span></center><center>WhiteFire Publishing (April 15, 2015) </center><center>by</center><center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.caraluecht.com/">Cara Luecht</a></span></center><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z-0IAdZC8sg/VT2u6V0E4kI/AAAAAAAAHAY/GGnj1KQYOE8/s1600/Cara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z-0IAdZC8sg/VT2u6V0E4kI/AAAAAAAAHAY/GGnj1KQYOE8/s1600/Cara.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div><b>A Word from the Author:</b><br /><br />I never planned to be a writer. In fact, it took me a while to finish college. But I did, and here I am. And I now I can’t imagine not being a writer. <br /><br />By day, I am an English Instructor for a local college, Marketing Manager for Degnan Design Builders, Inc., mother to four amazing children, and wife to an eternally patient and supportive husband. <br /><br />In the evening, when I can squirrel away some quiet time, I read and write historical fiction. <br /><br />I have a B.A. in English Lit. from UW Whitewater and an M.F.A in Creative Writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, NJ. <br /><br /><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KW1HYBvG0B8/VT2ujMwqriI/AAAAAAAAHAQ/gJNQqx2_WdI/s1600/GatheredWaters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KW1HYBvG0B8/VT2ujMwqriI/AAAAAAAAHAQ/gJNQqx2_WdI/s1600/GatheredWaters.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>They want to worship as their hearts demand...but is it something they can give up everything for? <br /><br />Brianna has only ever been what her life demanded. A wife, a hostess, a mother. But when a stand her husband takes ostracizes them from the Lutheran church that controls so much of life in Sweden, Brianna finds herself needing to find a strength beyond her station...a strength that will see her through prejudice and persecution and to a home she never dreamed she would find. <br /><br />Based on the true story of the author s family s journey from Sweden to America, this sweeping saga paints the brilliance of new faith, the bravery of a new land...and the beauty of plunging beneath the waters and emerging a new person, capable of what one never thought one could do. <br /><br /><br />If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1939023300">Gathered Waters</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2015/04/gathered-waters-by-cara-luecht.html">HERE</a>. <br /><br /><b><span style="color: orange;">MY THOUGHTS</span></b><br />This was a very interesting book, even more so that it was based on Cara's family.&nbsp; There are many things that we can and cannot do, but imagine your church controlling you.&nbsp; When we go to church we tend to follow the beliefs of the church we go to, but the Lutheran Church of Sweden took it far beyond simple beliefs.&nbsp; I cannot imagine what it would have been like to live in Brianna's shoes.<br /><br />Imagine your church friends ostracizing you, your parents unhappy with your choices, being followed, spied on, and more....what would it lead you to do?&nbsp; Brianna, her husband and family decided to come to America....not a pleasant journey, but yet, they kept up their hopes, their beliefs.<br /><br />Once in America, things didn't go as expected but it didn't stop them.&nbsp; This is a story of hope, and belief, a story of doing what you think is right, regardless of what those closest to you believe.<br /><br />A very thought provoking read.&nbsp; The only question I was left with was what religion Brianna and her family went to after leaving the Lutheran church in Sweden....I was left very curios about the new religion!<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from CFBA</i></span><br /><br /><a href="http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/?action=view&amp;current=SignatureLuLu.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/SignatureLuLu.jpg" /></a>http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com/2015/04/book-review-gathered-waters.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lauri M)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778134396156590664.post-3469698542422839679Wed, 22 Apr 2015 21:09:00 +00002015-04-24T16:10:02.690-05:00CFBA: Double Cross<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1414389949">Double Cross</a></span></center><center>Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (April 1, 2015)</center><center>by</center><center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.diannmills.com/">Diann Mills</a></span></center><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CEM9ap32Nz8/VTRPK9NnV4I/AAAAAAAAG_4/4Yl7Q3gs4hs/s1600/DiAnn%2B-%2BSec.Large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CEM9ap32Nz8/VTRPK9NnV4I/AAAAAAAAG_4/4Yl7Q3gs4hs/s1600/DiAnn%2B-%2BSec.Large.jpg" /></a></div>DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. <i>Library Journal</i> presented her with a Best Books 2014: Genre Fiction award in the Christian Fiction category for <i>Firewall.</i><br /><br />DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers; the 2015 president of the Romance Writers of America’s Faith, Hope, &amp; Love chapter; a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, and International Thriller Writers. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas. DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on any of the social media platforms listed at her website. <br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qdUOjPzqjeY/VTROzPZfUuI/AAAAAAAAG_w/GJnkHNSP5F8/s1600/DoubleCross.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qdUOjPzqjeY/VTROzPZfUuI/AAAAAAAAG_w/GJnkHNSP5F8/s1600/DoubleCross.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>FBI Agent Laurel Evertson’s investigation into a scam targeting the elderly takes an unexpected twist when key evidence leads her to Morton Wilmington, a felon she arrested five years ago on her first undercover assignment. That case has haunted her since, and though she’s vowed to forget Wilmington—and what she sacrificed to put him away—he is now her best lead. Houston Police Officer Daniel Hilton fears his grandparents may be the scammer’s next targets, and he’ll do anything to protect his family—even force interagency cooperation. But he’s quickly drawn to Laurel’s empathy and zeal and agrees to follow her lead . . . even if it means teaming up with a felon. As the unlikely trio uncovers evidence suggesting the scam is more extensive and deadly than they imagined, both Laurel and Daniel find themselves in the crosshairs of a killer. Together they must decide if they can trust Wilmington’s claims of redemption, or if he’s leading them straight into a double cross. <br /><br />If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1414389949">Double Cross</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2015/04/double-cross-by-diann-mills.html">HERE</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: orange;"><b>MY THOUGHTS</b></span><br /><br />This is a great read if you like a good thriller.&nbsp; Throughout the book I found myself questioning Wilmington every bit as much as Laurel and Daniel, I kept wondering if they were doing the right thing or if one of them would be the next victim.<br /><br />The scam on the elderly made me angry, and as motivated for the detectives/police to find the&nbsp;&nbsp; culprits.&nbsp; It's sad that this happens to the elderly o a daily basis, so in that aspect the book was very real to life.<br /><br />I had to give Laurel my kudos, she was one great actor to pull off what she did in the story, and Daniel is one of those steady and true kind of guys.<br /><br />There are some elderly people in the book that you can't help but love with their quirks and activities.&nbsp;<br /><br />A fun book to read if you're in the mood for some suspense!<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br />**I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from CFBA</i></span><br /><br /><a href="http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/?action=view&amp;current=SignatureLuLu.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/SignatureLuLu.jpg" /></a>http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com/2015/04/cfba-double-cross.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lauri M)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778134396156590664.post-6929281169700921731Thu, 16 Apr 2015 01:54:00 +00002015-04-16T20:54:58.920-05:00Book Review: Jaded<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1434708373">Jaded</a></span></center><center>David C. Cook (March 1, 2015) </center><center>by</center><center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://varinadenman.com/">Varina Denman</a></span></center><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fHt0NSJVisA/VSstJTpiQrI/AAAAAAAAG_M/JMrPWEIUZUU/s1600/varinadenman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fHt0NSJVisA/VSstJTpiQrI/AAAAAAAAG_M/JMrPWEIUZUU/s1600/varinadenman.jpg" height="200" width="175" /></a></div><br /><br />An avid reader and blogger, Varina Denman enjoys writing fiction about Christian women and the unique struggles they face. She seems to have a knack for describing small town life, and is currently working on a three book Texas series which will soon be published by David C. Cook. The first book in the series, <i>Jaded</i>, won the 2013 ACFW Genesis contest for romance. <br /><br />Varina attended three Texas universities over a span of five years, majoring in four subjects and earning zero degrees. However, she can now boast sixteen years as a home educator, volunteering in the local cooperative where she has taught numerous subjects including creative writing and literature. <br /><br />Even though Varina has spoken at ladies’ retreats and taught women’s Bible classes, she finds the greatest fulfillment facilitating prayer groups. She lives in Burleson, Texas, where she helps with Family Ministry in her home congregation. Varina is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and North Texas Christian Writers. <br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qpLvcT4AYSY/VSstmvKiodI/AAAAAAAAG_U/zwvmrskcC8I/s1600/Jaded.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qpLvcT4AYSY/VSstmvKiodI/AAAAAAAAG_U/zwvmrskcC8I/s1600/Jaded.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>As a child, Ruthie was shunned by the local congregation. Thirteen years later, Ruthie’s heart begins to stir when an attractive single preacher arrives. But their relationship is bitterly opposed—unearthing a string of secrets which threaten to turn the church, the town, and her world upside-down. <br /><br /><i>Jaded</i> is the rare novel that is both love story between a woman and man ... and God and His church. Plunging deep into the waters of shame, forgiveness and restoration, it will resonate with every woman who’s experienced a loss of heart ... and a thirst for hope. <br /><br />If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1434708373">Jaded</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2015/04/jaded-by-varina-denman.html">HERE</a>.<br /><br />MY THOUGHTS<br />This is an exceptionally good first book.&nbsp; I felt as if my entire being was placed in this book right along side the characters, that's how real this story is.<br /><br />Placed in a small town, these characters are so believable, you may think you've encountered them.&nbsp; People of all types go to church, in this story, they are not just the good, but they are the people that may sit behind you, in front of you....people who truly cherish the church, others who are not so kindly spirited.<br /><br />I loved Ruthie and Dodd's relationship....two characters you can't help but fall in love with.<br /><br />A definite must read, and anxiously awaiting Varina's next book.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>* I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from CFBA</i></span><br /><br /><a href="http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/?action=view&amp;current=SignatureLuLu.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/SignatureLuLu.jpg" /></a>http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com/2015/04/book-review-jaded.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lauri M)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778134396156590664.post-4919613976705334931Sat, 04 Apr 2015 03:05:00 +00002015-04-03T22:05:18.182-05:00Halo Found hope. A Memoir<h3></h3><a href="http://litfusegroup.com/books/halo-found-hope" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Halo Found Hope" class="left wp-post-image" height="368" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Halo-Found-Hope-252x368.jpg" title="Halo Found Hope" width="252" /></a><em>Halo Fou</em><em>nd Hope</em> (December 2014)<br /><br /> <strong>Machines beeping, the blur of medical staff running, a crash cart whizzing into an ICU room—was there any hope?</strong><br /> A young woman lay, packed in ice, as doctors attempted to somehow stop the swelling in her brain that threatened to take her life… and her family waited.<br /><br /> Six days turned into eight weeks. She awoke to discover that she was not the same. She saw two of everything, couldn’t feel half of her face, couldn’t hear from one ear, and could not speak. She couldn’t even tell anyone that she felt hopeless… or could she?<br /><br /> <em>Halo Found Hope</em> is the story of a beautiful, busy wife, and mother of three whose life changes&nbsp;instantly with the diagnosis of a rare brain tumor. An exceptional ENT, a brilliant neurosurgeon and a&nbsp;dedicated medical team tackle the tumor, setting off a series of unbelievable miracles. Helo’s story is not one of survival, or of salvaging a life through a broken body. It is not about endurance through pain, but victory because of it. While the family heard her silence, God heard her prayer. Helo’s story is simply this: Wherever you are and whatever you are going through, God is right there. He doesn’t need to be re cognized by you, to be there for you. He can replace fear with courage and discouragement with determination, if you let Him. Helo did, and that is how she found hope<br />.<br /> <a href="http://halofoundhope.com/book/" target="_blank"><strong>Learn more and purchase a copy at Helo’s website.</strong></a><br /> <div class="about_author clear"><br /><h3><a href="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/authors/HMatzelle-296.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Helo Matzelle" border="0" class="alignleft" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/authors/HMatzelle-296.jpeg" style="height: auto; max-width: 250px;" /></a>{More About Helo Matzelle}</h3>Helouise “Halo” Matzelle led a charmed life until receiving a shocking diagnosis in 2011 of a rare brain tumor sitting over the main artery in her brain. Matzelle’s passion is helping those who face various challenges and afflictions discover where true hope is found. She resides in Redmond, WA, with her husband and their three children.<br /><br /> Find out more about Helo at <a href="http://halofoundhope.com/">http://halofoundhope.com/</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: orange;"><b><br /></b></span><br /><span style="color: orange;"><b>MY THOUGHTS</b></span><br /><br /><br />Halo is a woman of extreme strength, you will learn this from the first few pages of her story.&nbsp; I'm not sure how I would hold up if I went through what she did.&nbsp; Losing so much time, not remembering, her huge battle with returning to the living and trying to become the person she once was.&nbsp; She never gave up, she inspired people everywhere she went.<br /><br /><br />I have a feeling I would be a bit bitter, depressed, I certainly don't know if I'd be as willing to openly tell my story to those I meet, people on the phone, in the market....Halo has an incredible gift to offer and in writing this book she has opened up her life, her pain to everyone.&nbsp; She also has an immense love for God, an unwavering belief in him, and she truly has put her life in his hands.<br /><br /><br />There is a very strong religious tone to this book which may bother some, I loved it, but I just felt it important that others know that fact, because not everyone loves Christian Fiction, and this book gives you a full dose of Christian love!<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>**I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from Litfuse</i></span><br /><br /><br /></div><a href="http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/?action=view&amp;current=SignatureLuLu.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/SignatureLuLu.jpg" /></a>http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com/2015/04/halo-found-hope-memoir.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lauri M)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778134396156590664.post-2865432140697889885Fri, 27 Mar 2015 16:51:00 +00002015-03-27T11:51:39.385-05:00The Promise of Palm Grove<br /><br /> <a href="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Promise-of-Palm-Grove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Promise of Palm Grove" border="0" class="left" height="auto" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Promise-of-Palm-Grove.jpg" width="250" /></a><strong>Leona must decide: Does she follow the path set out before her? Or take a chance with only the promise of what could be to guide her?</strong><br /><br /> A young Amish woman finds herself torn between the man she’s pledged to wed and the man her heart desires in this heartwarming story of chance, duty, and choice in the face of love—the first volume in the beloved New York Times bestselling author’s new Amish Brides of Pinecraft series.<br /><br /> Amish bride-to-be Leona is thrilled to be in Florida, on a mini-vacation in the pretty town of Pinecraft. Her girlfriends think she’s happy because she’s away from the stress of wedding planning. They have no idea that Leona’s real joy is in being away from her fiancé.<br /><br /> Edmund is a good man, and will make a decent husband . . . just not for Leona. The more time she spends with him and his overbearing ways, the less she wants to be his wife. Her cousins are sure Edmund is the right man for her-and their certainty makes Leona begin to doubt herself. But when a chance encounter with a wayward cat brings her face-to-face with a handsome, fun-loving Amish man named Zachary Kauffman, Leona’s faced with two vastly different futures.<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.shelleyshepardgray.com/the-promise-of-palm-grove/" target="_blank"><strong>Learn more and purchase a copy at Shelley’s website.</strong></a><br /><br /><strong><span style="color: orange;">MY THOUGHTS</span><br /> </strong>I have to admit.....I have a weakness for Amish stories....and the stories set in Pinecraft....well, they just make me feel like I'm on vacation!<br /><br />Leona is quite the girl, she has gumption.....I was really quite proud of her actions....for standing up for herself and not just doing what was expected.&nbsp; Despite the people she knew she would upset, she carried on with what she felt in her heart.<br /><br />This was a great read....one I was able to curl up with...a good old romance with a bit of commotion....a nice relaxing read!&nbsp; Shelley Shepard Gray never disappoints!<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from Litfuse</i></span><br /><strong>&nbsp;</strong><br /><a href="http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/?action=view&amp;current=SignatureLuLu.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/SignatureLuLu.jpg" /></a>http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-promise-of-palm-grove.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lauri M)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778134396156590664.post-1313880440312766153Wed, 25 Mar 2015 16:33:00 +00002015-03-25T11:33:45.938-05:00CFBA: The Tomb<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1451689128">The Tomb</a></span></center><center>Howard Books (March 17, 2015)</center><center>by</center><center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.stephanielandsem.com/">Stephanie Landsem</a></span></center><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vkLzQH1yxYg/VQ9urJNVB9I/AAAAAAAAG9o/tedsYkz72p4/s1600/Stephanie-Landsem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vkLzQH1yxYg/VQ9urJNVB9I/AAAAAAAAG9o/tedsYkz72p4/s1600/Stephanie-Landsem.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a></div><b>A word from the author:</b><br />I write historical fiction because I love adventure in far-off times and places. I’ve traveled since I was a teenager—backpacking through Germany and Eastern Europe, studying German in Salzburg, eating gelato in Italy, and riding camels in Morocco were some of the highlights. Travel kindles my imagination, fuels my love of history, and introduces me to one-of-a-kind characters. It’s the best kind of research. <br /><br />When I can’t travel, I read. I love fiction, of course, but I’m often found behind a stack of history books or searching the web for historical tidbits. How people lived together, worked, and what they ate (I love food!) is usually what catches my imagination. No matter where or when we live, people are more alike than they are different. I love to find the similarities between our lives and those of the men and women of the ancient world. <br /><br />I make my home in Minnesota with my husband of 22 years, four children, three fat cats, and a tortoise named Moe. When I’m not writing Biblical fiction, I’m feeding the ravenous horde of kids and their friends, volunteering at church and school, battling dandelions, and dreaming about my next adventure – whether it be in person or on the page. <br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iH6pRuzjcvw/VQ9uTCekmYI/AAAAAAAAG9g/hBttFcoM5cQ/s1600/Tomb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iH6pRuzjcvw/VQ9uTCekmYI/AAAAAAAAG9g/hBttFcoM5cQ/s1600/Tomb.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></div>In this captivating retelling of a classic biblical story, Jesus shocks the town of Bethany with Lazarus’s resurrection from the dead, leading Martha—a seemingly perfect woman trapped by the secrets of her past—to hope and a new life. <br /><br />Everyone in Bethany admires Martha—the perfect Jewish woman. She feeds and clothes her loved ones, looks after the family farm, and meticulously follows every precept of the Pharisees’ strict laws. But Martha is hiding a secret. At her sister’s marriage feast, she gave her heart and her innocence to a young musician who promised to return and marry her, but instead betrayed her love and abandoned her. <br /><br />Seven years later, only two people in Bethany know of Martha’s secret sin: her brother, Lazarus, and Simon, the righteous Pharisee to whom Martha is betrothed. When Lazarus falls ill, Martha is faced with a choice: send for Jesus to save her dying brother—risking the wrath of Simon who threatens to betray her—or deny Jesus’ healing power and remain trapped in her tomb of secrecy and lies. <br /><br />Meanwhile, on the shores of Galilee, Isa roams the wilderness, tortured by demons and knowing only that someone is waiting for him. When he is healed by Jesus, he finds that seven years have passed since his descent into madness. Isa journeys home to Bethany only to find he is too late to win back Martha’s love. <br /><br />When Martha risks all to heal Lazarus, will Jesus arrive in time, or will he—like Isa—come too late? <br /><br />If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1451689128">The Tomb</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-tomb-by-stephanie-landsem.html">HERE</a>. <br /><br /><span style="color: orange;"><b>MY THOUGHTS</b></span><br />I have never really known a lot about Mary, this book was definitely an eye opener.&nbsp; As I read, I almost felt as though I had traveled back in time and was living beside her.<br /><br />This story truly drew me in and it was difficult to stop reading for the mundane things in life, such as eating, sleeping, etc!<br /><br />I cannot imagine living in these times, the fear that Mary must have felt holding her secret, the prospect of marrying someone she does not love and wondering if Jesus was indeed the messiah.<br /><br />This book has a lot of 'meat' to it, one I am sure I will read again and again.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from CFBA</i></span><br /><br /><a href="http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/?action=view&amp;current=SignatureLuLu.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/SignatureLuLu.jpg" /></a>http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com/2015/03/cfba-tomb.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lauri M)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778134396156590664.post-1495018181661284856Wed, 25 Mar 2015 16:25:00 +00002015-03-25T11:26:21.078-05:00CFBA: Dauntless<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764213121">Dauntless</a></span></center><center>Bethany House Publishers (March 3, 2015) </center><center>by</center><center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://awesomeinspirationals.blogspot.com/p/who-is-dina.html">Dina L. Sleiman</a></span></center><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q6B3UcG2Mec/VQYmhapGngI/AAAAAAAAG7M/jFr_ie2RGbQ/s1600/Dina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q6B3UcG2Mec/VQYmhapGngI/AAAAAAAAG7M/jFr_ie2RGbQ/s1600/Dina.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div><b>A word from the author:</b><br /><br />Since selling my first book, I have also become an acquisitions editor for the company. I am a member of the Inkwell Inspirations blog, HEWN Marketing, ACFW, and a contributor to Christian Review of Books. I hold publishing credits in poetry and songwriting, and I was the writer and featured teacher in a nationally distributed instructional dance video for children. I have written several songs about the plight of the Islamic people, which have been produced in association with the Christian Broadcast Network. In addition, I have taught college and high school classes in writing and literature, as well as homeschool classes in the fine arts, and now enjoy teaching at writers conferences throughout the nation. <br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yR1nki1E9MM/VQYm8MDcaSI/AAAAAAAAG7U/KN4YKqJ7vt8/s1600/Dauntless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yR1nki1E9MM/VQYm8MDcaSI/AAAAAAAAG7U/KN4YKqJ7vt8/s1600/Dauntless.jpg" height="320" width="206" /></a></div><b>Where Legend and History Collide, <br />One Young Woman Will Fight for the Innocent</b><br /><br />Born a baron's daughter, Lady Merry Ellison is now an enemy of the throne after her father's failed assassination attempt upon the king. Bold and uniquely skilled, she is willing to go to any lengths to protect the orphaned children of her former village--a group that becomes known as "The Ghosts of Farthingale Forest." Merry finds her charge more difficult as their growing notoriety brings increasing trouble their way. <br /><br />Timothy Grey, ninth child of the Baron of Greyham, longs to perform some feat so legendary that he will rise from obscurity and earn a title of his own. When the Ghosts of Farthingale Forest are spotted in Wyndeshire, where he serves as assistant to the local earl, he might have found his chance. But when he comes face-to-face with the leader of the thieves, he's forced to reexamine everything he's known. <br /><br />If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764213121">Dauntless</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2015/03/dauntless-by-dina-l-sleiman.html">HERE</a>.<br /><br /><span style="color: orange;"><b>MY THOUGHTS</b></span><br />I don't usually read this type of a book, but I am glad I did.&nbsp; Lady Merry is tough, brave, loyal to those she cares for, will fight to her death, and yet is ladylike. <br /><br />The circumstances behind this story are really quite awful, and it's no wonder Lady Merry lives as she does, I was thoroughly entertained throughout the entire story, and loved how it ended!<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from CFBA </i></span><br /><br /><a href="http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/?action=view&amp;current=SignatureLuLu.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/SignatureLuLu.jpg" /></a>http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com/2015/03/cfba-dauntless.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lauri M)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778134396156590664.post-2282096050384073411Thu, 12 Mar 2015 02:50:00 +00002015-03-11T21:50:29.692-05:00CFBA: Spy of Richmond<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/%200802405797">Spy of Richmond</a></span></center><center>River North (March 1, 2015)</center><center>by</center><center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.jocelyngreen.com/">Jocelyn Green</a></span></center><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L1aDEbNeDxY/UAyze__mvgI/AAAAAAAAE8I/Rj74mMt5lZg/s1600/Jocelyn+Green.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L1aDEbNeDxY/UAyze__mvgI/AAAAAAAAE8I/Rj74mMt5lZg/s200/Jocelyn+Green.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>Jocelyn Green is a child of God, wife and mom living in Cedar Falls, Iowa. She is also an award-winning journalist, author, editor and blogger. Though she has written nonfiction on a variety of topics, her name is most widely recognized for her ministry to military wives: Faith Deployed. Her passion for the military family was fueled by her own experience as a military wife, and by the dozens of interviews she has conducted with members of the military for her articles and books, Faith Deployed: Daily Encouragement for Military Wives and its sequel, Faith Deployed...Again: More Daily Encouragement for Military Wives. She is also co-author of both Stories of Faith and Courage from the War in Iraq &amp; Afghanistan and Stories of Faith and Courage from the Home Front (forthcoming, May 2012). Her Faith Deployed Web site and Facebook page continue to provide ongoing support, encouragement and resources for military wives worldwide.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ro3Q4yN4AxE/VP0SSWqtrbI/AAAAAAAAG60/UNjjCCAXt1E/s1600/Spy_of_Richmond.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ro3Q4yN4AxE/VP0SSWqtrbI/AAAAAAAAG60/UNjjCCAXt1E/s1600/Spy_of_Richmond.jpg" height="200" width="129" /></a></div>Trust none. Risk all. <i>Richmond, Virginia, 1863.</i> Compelled to atone for the sins of her slaveholding father, Union loyalist Sophie Kent risks everything to help end the war from within the Confederate capital and abolish slavery forever. But she can't do it alone. Former slave Bella Jamison sacrifices her freedom to come to Richmond, where her Union soldier husband is imprisoned, and her twin sister still lives in bondage in Sophie's home. Though it may cost them their lives, they work with Sophie to betray Rebel authorities. Harrison Caldwell, a Northern freelance journalist who escorts Bella to Richmond, infiltrates the War Department as a clerk-but is conscripted to defend the city's fortifications.<br /><br />As Sophie's spy network grows, she walks a tightrope of deception, using her father's position as newspaper editor and a suitor's position in the ordnance bureau for the advantage of the Union. One misstep could land her in prison, or worse. Suspicion hounds her until she barely even trusts herself. When her espionage endangers the people she loves, she makes a life-and-death gamble.<br /><br />Will she follow her convictions even though it costs her everything-and everyone-she holds dear? <br /><br />If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/%200802405797">Spy of Richmond</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2015/03/spy-of-richmond-by-jocelyn-green.html">HERE</a>.<br /><br /><span style="color: orange;"><b>MY THOUGHTS </b></span><br />This story takes you back in history, and you will vividly live the story along with the characters..feel the fear, the pain...even the hate.<br /><br />Sophie walks a narrow line....she'll make you hold your breath more than once.<br /><br />Deep in the south Sophie's father is held a prisoner of war, her mom has passed, she's left alone with her servants and doesn't believe in slavery...yet can't free her own.&nbsp; As a spy she becomes strong, a different woman than the one her father left, she does some extremely dangerous and brave things for the sake of the war, only for the wrong side.<br /><br />This story held me as captive as the prisoners, at times I was afraid to turn the page, but yet had to....a very good read.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from CFBA </i></span><br /><br /><a href="http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/?action=view&amp;current=SignatureLuLu.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/SignatureLuLu.jpg" /></a>http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com/2015/03/cfba-spy-of-richmond.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lauri M)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778134396156590664.post-2324375918191700101Mon, 09 Mar 2015 03:27:00 +00002015-03-08T22:27:13.853-05:00Book Review: Betting on Hope<em>Betting on Hope</em> (Thomas Nelson, February 2015)<br /><br /> <strong>A bet gone wrong. A small town’s meddling. And a cowboy intent on saving his ranch.</strong><br /><a href="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Betting-on-Hope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Betting on Hope" border="0" class="left" height="auto" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Betting-on-Hope.jpg" width="250" /></a><strong>&nbsp;</strong><br /> Maggie Hope is an advice columnist whose background leaves her with little advice to give . . . and it’s beginning to show. When Maggie fills in at an interview with champion horse trainer Tru Monahan, the on-camera chemistry between them is undeniable. Maggie’s bosses know this is the opportunity she’s been looking for to launch her career—and their bank accounts. In order to save her column, Maggie takes Tru up on the bet that he can teach her to ride a quick-stepping cutting horse like any cowgirl, despite the fact that she has never been on a horse. And in the meantime, she can get the scoop on the man under the cowboy hat.<br /><br /> Tru has been on the competition circuit for longer than he’d like, but he knows it’s the only way he can afford to keep the Four of Hearts Ranch that means so much to his ailing grandfather. So when his sponsors see the opportunity for Tru’s fans to get to know the star on a more intimate level, he knows he must oblige. To his dismay, Maggie not only invades his small town of Wishing Springs, but she also invades his heart, and that is something he cannot let any woman do—for her own good.<br /><br /> In Wishing Springs, Maggie finds what she has always been looking for: a community and a home. But when her past catches up to her, it threatens everything, even the tender hope that this town holds all of her heart’s desires.<br /><br /> <strong><a href="http://debraclopton.com/betting-on-hope/" target="_blank">Learn more and purchase a copy at Debra’s website.</a></strong><br /><br /><span style="color: orange;"><b>MY THOUGHTS</b></span><br />This book was a fun change from the 'norm'.&nbsp; Tru, a rough and tough cowboy meets up with soft, unsure Maggie and both of their worlds get turned upside down.&nbsp; Problem is, neither one of them appreciate it, but they have to agree to it.&nbsp; That of course leads to quite the chain of events.<br /><br />Tru, being someone who has been in the papers a lot...tends to have a great distrust for reporters.<br /><br />Maggie might be clumsy, but she's tough...and it's a good thing.<br /><br />These two 'characters' will take you on a ride, a real ride on horseback, as well as an emotional one as they not only figure themselves out, but each other as well!<br /><br />Fun, easy read!<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from Litfuse Publicity</i></span><strong> </strong><br /><a href="http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/?action=view&amp;current=SignatureLuLu.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/SignatureLuLu.jpg" /></a>http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com/2015/03/book-review-betting-on-hope.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lauri M)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778134396156590664.post-2274182319828914229Thu, 05 Mar 2015 04:03:00 +00002015-03-04T22:03:34.514-06:00CFBA: Then Sings My Soul<div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/1600/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5500/1432/320/CFBAreviewer_gif.0.gif" style="cursor: hand; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a></div><center><span style="font-size: 130%;">This week, the</span></center><center><a href="http://www.christianfictionblogalliance.com/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Christian Fiction Blog Alliance</span></a></center><center><span style="font-size: 100%;">is introducing</span></center><center><span style="color: #993300; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1434705455">Then Sings My Soul</a></span></center><center>David C. Cook (March 1, 2015)</center><center>by</center><center><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://amysorrells.wordpress.com/">Amy Sorrells</a></span></center><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fOWk0nqtLBI/Ux_OTSHaZ6I/AAAAAAAAGnk/UX80wmCbDoA/s1600/Amy+Sorrells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fOWk0nqtLBI/Ux_OTSHaZ6I/AAAAAAAAGnk/UX80wmCbDoA/s1600/Amy+Sorrells.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>An Indianapolis native and graduate of DePauw University, Amy lives with her husband, three boys and a gaggle of golden retrievers in central Indiana. After writing and editing for her college newspaper, she combined a nursing degree with journalism and creative writing, which led to publishing and editing a wide array of medical and nursing writing and multimedia projects over the past 21 years, a position as director of communications of her church’s children’s ministry, as well as a weekly column for a local newspaper which ran from 2009-2012. She has been a two-time semi-finalist for the ACFW Genesis awards, and was the winner of the 2011 Women of Faith writing contest. <br /><br />When she’s not reading or writing, Amy loves spending time with her three sons; spicy lunches and art gallery walks with her husband; digging in her garden sans gloves; walking her dogs; up-cycling old furniture and junk; photography; and friends. <br /><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 100%;">ABOUT THE BOOK</span></b> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IVWuz0GD5Ws/VPPnt6NHp3I/AAAAAAAAG6I/UjceJLHS7QU/s1600/Then_Sings_My_Soul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IVWuz0GD5Ws/VPPnt6NHp3I/AAAAAAAAG6I/UjceJLHS7QU/s1600/Then_Sings_My_Soul.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>When Nel Stewart returns home due to the sudden death of her mother, she realizes her beloved father, Jakob, is struggling with dementia. With the reappearance of a high-school sweetheart, deliveries from Ukraine addressed to her, and the discovery of a mysterious, vintage aquamarine gemstone, Nel senses God is pulling her into the past to restore their faith and their futures. Told partially through Jakob's flashbacks of fleeing genocide-ridden eastern Europe at the turn of the twentieth century, the novel combines elements of mystery, history, faith and romance to reveal how God redeems the broken years ... and our future. <br /><br />If you would like to read the first chapter of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1434705455">Then Sings My Soul</a>, go <a href="http://thestorybeginnings.blogspot.com/2015/03/then-sings-my-soul-by-amy-sorrells.html">HERE</a>.<br /><br /><span style="color: orange;"><b>MY THOUGHTS</b></span><br /><br />This book was AMAZING....the best book I've read in some time.<br /><br />As you read the book goes from Nel's voice to her father's which takes you back to the twentieth century Europe.&nbsp; I did not find the switching of time periods confusing, it all flowed extremely well.<br /><br />I felt horror, overwhelming sadness, and glimmers of hope while reading.&nbsp; Sad for Jakob's haunting past, the past that has kept him trapped his entire life.&nbsp; Sad for Nel as she struggles with losing her mom and finding her dad to be terribly frail and at the end of his life as well.&nbsp; Even so, Nel finishes what her mom has started and helps her dad heal.&nbsp; Nel also finds a way to heal from her past as well.<br /><br />This book will make you think and you will go through all sorts of feelings, despite the sadness I'd call this book a 'must read' and I will most certainly read previous stories as well as future stories by Amy Sorrellus, I just wonder why it has taken me so long to discover her.<br /><br />*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from CFBA<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/?action=view&amp;current=SignatureLuLu.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/SignatureLuLu.jpg" /></a></div>http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com/2015/03/cfba-then-sings-my-sould.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lauri M)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778134396156590664.post-7222552034118465070Mon, 02 Feb 2015 00:27:00 +00002015-02-01T18:27:46.601-06:00A Stitch in Crime, review and giveaway link<b>Don’t miss the newest Quilts of Love book, <a href="http://www.quiltsoflovebooks.com/products/40/A-Stitch-in-Crime" target="_blank"><i>A Stitch in Crime</i></a> by <a href="https://cathyelliottbooks.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Cathy Elliott</a>.&nbsp;</b><br /><br /><a href="http://litfusegroup.com/books/a-stitch-in-crime" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ASIC Elliott" class="left wp-post-image" height="384" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/ASIC-Elliott-252x384.jpg" title="A Stitch in Crime" width="252" /></a><em>&nbsp;</em><br /> <em><strong>Thea’s first quilt show is coming apart at the seams!</strong></em><br /> Thea James has accepted an assignment as co‑chairperson for Larkindale’s first quilt show extravaganza. Juggling the new assignment with running her antique business, she’s already feeling frayed when things start to unravel.<br /><br />Mary‑Alice Wentworth, a much‑loved town matriarch, respected quilt judge, and Thea’s dear friend, is covertly conked on the head during the kick‑off Quilt Show Soiree, throwing suspicion on her guests. It also appears that a valuable diamond brooch has been stolen during the attack. The family is furious. But is it because of their mugged mother or the missing diamonds? <br /><br />When a renowned textile expert goes MIA and the famous Wentworth heritage quilt disappears, Larkindale’s reputation as a tourist haven is at risk. Thea attempts to piece the mystery together and save the town’s investment in the quilt show before Mary‑Alice is attacked again . . . with far worse results.<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.quiltsoflovebooks.com/products/40/A-Stitch-in-Crime" target="_blank"><strong>Find out more and purchase a copy at the Quilts of Love Books website.</strong></a><br /><strong>&nbsp;</strong><br /> <div class="about_author clear"><h3>About the Author</h3><span style="font-weight: normal;">Author and speaker Cathy Elliot nourishes her night‑owl habit by creating cozy mysteries and more on her trusty laptop in Anderson, California. Like the protagonist in her new mystery, Cathy is an avid quilter. Besides collecting (too much) cool fabric, she also enjoys hunting for antique treasures.</span><br /><br /> Find out more about Cathy at <a href="https://cathyelliottbooks.wordpress.com/">https://cathyelliottbooks.wordpress.com/</a>.<br /></div><br /><br /><b><span style="color: orange;">MY THOUGHTS</span></b><br />Well, I hate to say it again, but I must....another great book in the Quilts of Love series! <br /><br />This book has a quilt, a mystery, family squabbles, you name it.....enough that when all thrown together, or should I say, when all brilliantly written into a plot turn into a fun, cozy read.<br /><br />I loved the characters, little old ladies, grown-up children who can't help but argue and fight, stressed out overworked people such as Thea...they all just work so wonderfully well together, or not!<br /><br />Poor Thea, all she wants is for the Antique quilt show to go with out a hitch, but that certainly is not meant to be, thank goodness for a few helpful friends and relatives or she may just have to do it all herself, even solve a mystery.<br /><br />This book kept me guessing and turning pages very entertaining.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from Litfuse Publicity</i></span><br /><a href="http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/?action=view&amp;current=SignatureLuLu.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/SignatureLuLu.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Enter to win a Kindle HDX!&nbsp;</b></div><b>&nbsp;</b> <br /><center><a href="http://prmo.me/kVgtSZ" rel="attachment wp-att-14566" target="_blank"><img alt="qol-stitchincrime-400" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14566" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/qol-stitchincrime-400.jpg" height="325" width="400" /></a></center><br /><b>One winner will receive:</b><br /><ul><li>A Kindle HDX</li><li><i>A Stitch in Crime</i> by Cathy Elliott</li><li><i>Masterpiece Marriage</i> by Gina Welborn</li><li><i>Swept Away </i>by Laura V. Hilton and Cindy Loven</li></ul><br /><b>Enter today by clicking the button below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on February 8th.</b> Winner will be announced on the <a href="http://www.quiltsoflovebooks.com/blog/" target="_blank">Quilts of Love blog</a> February 9th.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://prmo.me/kVgtSZ" rel="attachment wp-att-14568" target="_blank"><img alt="qol-stitchincrime-enterbanner" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14568" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/qol-stitchincrime-enterbanner.jpg" height="100" width="400" /></a> <br /> <b>{NOT ON FACEBOOK? <a href="https://promosimple.com/ps/6600" target="_blank">ENTER HERE</a>.}</b></div><br /><h3 style="text-align: center;"><b>Enter today and spread the word—t</b>ell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK or <b>TWITTER and increase your chances of winning</b>.</h3>http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com/2015/02/a-stitch-in-crime-review-and-giveaway.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lauri M)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778134396156590664.post-8035514322703574768Sat, 31 Jan 2015 21:30:00 +00002015-02-01T18:06:07.157-06:00Choosing Him All Over Again, book tour and review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img class="CSS_LIGHTBOX_SCALED_IMAGE_IMG" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jmQOSL2HRYU/VH93cmJtrGI/AAAAAAAAFNs/w5sIV2VPTmI/s1600/BlogTour-square1.jpg" style="height: 408px; width: 396px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;"><i></i></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;"><i>This post is part of the C<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">h</span>oosing H<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">i</span>m Blog Tour which I am delighted to be a part of a<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">l<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">on<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">g</span> with </span></span>nearly one hundred other inspiring Christian bloggers. To learn more and join us, CLICK <a href="http://www.juanamikels.com/p/for-bloggers.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>! (<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">http://www.juanamikels.com/p/for-bloggers.html</span>)</i></span></span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;">Book Details</span></span></h3><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CWi9KqG4Ejs/VH3hYENU3GI/AAAAAAAAFJU/enNiZYWX3Ec/s1600/3Dbookcover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CWi9KqG4Ejs/VH3hYENU3GI/AAAAAAAAFJU/enNiZYWX3Ec/s1600/3Dbookcover.jpg" width="218" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 25px;">A handsome husband, a dream job, and plenty of money- so why wasn't Juana Mikels happy? In a desperate attempt to find the peace and happiness she craved Mikels left it all behind. In <i><b><a href="http://ambassador-international.com/books/choosing-story-romance-redemption/" target="_blank">Choosing Him All Over Again: A Story of Romance &amp; Redemption</a></b></i>, (Ambassador International; January 2014; $14.99, paperback) Mikels offers an intimate account of</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 25px;"> her search for Mr. Right, a journey that ended up leading her into the arms of Jesus, and ultimately back home to her husband.&nbsp;</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;">Mikels not only includes a candid recount of her own marriage struggles in <i><b>Choosing Him All Over Again</b></i>, but she interviewed more than 40 people, all of whom had been separated or divorced at one time. "It is my prayer that you will be encouraged and able to love your husband and to choose him again," writes Mikels. "It is my delight to share my history with you because my story is a story of God's grace."&nbsp;</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;"><i><b>Choosing Him All Over Again</b></i> includes strikingly honest accounts of Mikels' personal experience of separation from her husband and their ultimate reconciliation. Mikels offers wives 11 checkpoints for refreshing any marriage including saying 'I love you' daily, not bringing up past failures and praying for your husband every day. The book provides free resources like prayers Mikels prays for her husband, a note to Christian women married to unbelievers or married to Christian men who are not acting as believers should and access to a <a href="http://ambassador-international.com/books/choosinghimalloveragain/" target="_blank">FREE downloadable companion Bible study guide</a>.&nbsp;</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;"><i></i></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;">Juana Mikels wrote her own story of how God saved her marriage along with practical teaching on faith and marriage written out of her own failure, pointing us all to Jesus Christ who has the power to change lives and marriages. You can get a copy here <a href="http://ambassador-international.com/books/choosing-story-romance-redemption/" target="_blank">HERE</a>. (http://ambassador-international.com/books/choosing-story-romance-redemption/) or on Kindle <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Q75RSR0" target="_blank">HERE</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">&nbsp;</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>My Thoughts</b></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is a true story about love, hope, redemption.&nbsp; Juana Mikels lays it all out there for us to 'see' what she went through while she was questioning her marriage.&nbsp; She felt as though she made a mistake, a huge one.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Marriage isn't easy, not for anyone, neither is ending it, although too many people are going through nasty divorces, finding bumpy roads in their marriage as not something they want to deal with.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Whether you have a rough marriage, or one that you feel is perfect this is a good read, it's not just a book full of lessons on marriage, it's a story, a real one and it's truly amazing what Juana has gone through in finding and losing love, to finding it again, as well as her journey with God.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A truly enjoyable read, one that will leave you thinking.</span></span></span></span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from Ambassador International </i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi66.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fh244%2Fghosthorsemcc%2FSignatureLuLu.jpg&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image%2F*" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/SignatureLuLu.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;"><i></i></span></span>http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com/2015/01/choosing-him-all-over-again-book-tour.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lauri M)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778134396156590664.post-4979835658481501204Fri, 16 Jan 2015 04:47:00 +00002015-01-19T22:47:58.593-06:00Masterpiece MarriageNew from Abingdon Press’ Quilts of Love series | <em>Masterpiece Marriage</em><br /><br /> <a href="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/masterpiece-marriage-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Masterpiece Marriage" border="0" class="left" height="auto" src="http://litfusegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/masterpiece-marriage-cover.jpg" width="250" /></a><em><strong>He wants to save his business. She wants to be a professor. But are they asking for more than they can really have?</strong></em><br /><br /> After a flood damages the looms at Zenus Dane’s Philadelphia textile mill and the bank demands loan payment, Zenus turns to his aunt for help repurposing his textiles. Trouble is . . . his aunt has already been hired by the lovely yet secretive Englishwoman Mary Varrs.<br /><br /> Eager to acquire his aunt’s quilt patterns, Zenus attends the summer Quilting Bee, a social event his aunt has uniquely designed with the secret purpose of finding Zenus a wife. However Zenus only has eyes for Mary, but Mary has no such desire for him.<br /><br /> Though his aunt is determined to design a masterpiece marriage, both Zenus and Mary will have to overcome their stubborn ways. Can he realize that love requires stepping out of his routine? And will she recognize that following her heart doesn’t mean sacrificing her ambition?<br /><br /> Find out more and purchase a copy at the <a href="http://www.quiltsoflovebooks.com/products/39/Masterpiece-Marriage" target="_blank"><strong>Quilts of Love website</strong></a>.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts</span></b><br />Another wonderful book in the Quilts of Love series.<br /><br />This book is full of fun quirky characters...a manipulative aunt and a town full of gossiping women...sounds a lot like this book could be written in this time period, doesn't it?&nbsp; Only it's not.&nbsp; In this story you'll step back in time to the late 1800's.&nbsp; Zenus has taken quite the hit when his fabric mill becomes flooded and has to ask his aunt for a favor, a favor that has quite a few conditions.<br /><br />Mary, she has her own agenda and finds herself at odds when she finds that 'aunt' Mary is not only going to help her, but Zenus as well.<br /><br />A fun read made quite entertaining by the characters you can't help but love!<br /><br /><br />*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for review from Litfuse <br /><br /><a href="http://s66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/?action=view&amp;current=SignatureLuLu.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/ghosthorsemcc/SignatureLuLu.jpg" /></a>http://knitsandreads.blogspot.com/2015/01/masterpiece-marriage.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lauri M)0